Olympic fever infects gymnastics camp

Tumble-N-Kids has seen an influx of inspired participants after this year's Summer Olympics in London, owner says.

August 24, 2012|By Britney Barnes

Kids watch their coaches as they perform on the mat during… (STEVEN GEORGES,…)

This year's Summer Olympics may be over, but for almost 50 girls Friday afternoon, gymnastics were just getting started.

They cartwheeled and somersaulted, vaulted and showed their best as the crossed the balance beam.

"They are so into it," said Dayle Lusk, the owner of Tumble-N-Kids. "They want to do what they see on TV."

A record number of girls spent the week at the Tumble-N-Kids' Cheernastics Camp at the Newport Coast Community Center. Tumble-N-Kids is a recreational gymnastics program that holds camps and year-round classes for students who are 9 months to 13 years old.

The increase of families signing up their kids is a likely result of the Olympics, said Lusk, a Huntington Beach resident.

That was exactly the case for 7-year-old Kyra Gregory, a Lincoln Elementary School second-grader who was inspired after her first attempt at gymnastics.

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"What inspired me was I saw gymnastics on the Olympics, and I really want to do that someday," she said.

Lusk started Tumble-N-Kids 26 years ago to give students like Kyra a chance to try gymnastics. Unlike most gymnastics gyms, she does recreational gymnastics, which is more affordable and teaches kids without the pressure of competition, she said.

Incoming Woodland Elementary School kindergartner Audrey Herron, 5, also was inspired by the Olympics, which she watched with her dad and brother.

It was Audrey's second try at gymnastics and she was already to come back for more.